1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of non-lethal weapons which may be attached to another weapon such as a sidearm. The invention herein relates more particularly to a housing for a canister of chemical irritant spray.
2. Background Art
Handheld canisters, which release chemical irritants, like CS, CN (Chloroacetophenone) and OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) sprays have existed for some time. The canisters comprise a storage cylinder which contains a reservoir of irritant under pressure, a sealing valve and a valve stem, and sometimes a nozzle for directing the spray either radially or axially from the valve opening. When an operator's thumb thrusts the canister's valve stem (or its nozzle, if the nozzle either contacts or can be made to contact the valve stem) downward towards the storage cylinder (compresses the valve) and/or when an operator's thumb forces the longitudinal axis of the valve stem (or its nozzle, if the nozzle either contacts or can be made to contact the valve stem) to travel along an arc (tilts or pivots the valve), the handheld canister will release a spray of irritant.
Over the years, a plethora of housings have been developed to contain such canisters. Some are simply safety caps or housings conceived to prevent accidental movement of the canister's release valve. U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,353 to McIlhenny (1973), U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,823 to Tichy, et al (1993), U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,086 to Julinot (1994) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,263 to Ciammitti et al (1995) disclose such safety caps or housings. Other housings also include sometimes elaborate mechanical or electromechanical means for manipulating a canister to release a spray from its reservoir. These housings allow an operator to manipulate a canister to release its spray in one of two basic ways.
The thumb or a digit of the operator's hand and/or mechanism surface may tilt or compress the canister's valve stem. U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,601 to Black (1968) discloses a housing mechanism which forces a canister's valve stem to travel along an arc (tilt) to release a spray of irritant. As illustrated therein, aftward movement of trigger 62, 64 causes the longitudinal axis of valve stem 70 to travel along an arc and release a spray of irritant from storage cylinder 66. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,003 to Johnson, et al (1996), an operator's thumb compresses button 62 and, thereby valve stem 68 toward storage cylinder 41 to release an irritant spray radially through release valve 44, over valve stem 68 and through a directing nozzle. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,643 to Isabella (1988) (FIGS. 5-7), trigger button 105 is compressed axially toward storage cylinder 103 to release a spray radially through directing nozzle 104.
Alternatively, a mechanism surface may cause the storage cylinder to travel axially and compress against its valve or nozzle, which is secured from movement by the housing or becomes secured from movement by the housing. The secured nozzles allow for more precise aiming of the spray. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,581 to Parsons (1996) (FIG. 3), stem 16 advances canister 64 axially against spring 46 forcing nozzle 66 into canister 64 to release a spray of irritant axially. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,602 to Pierpoint (1998), nozzle 26 is cemented into housing 29. Activation of a solenoid forces canister 25 within housing 29 to move toward dispensing end 21 to compress nozzle 26 toward canister 25. Longitudinal compression of nozzle 26 toward canister 25 dispenses irritant 36 axially. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,817 to Anderson et al (1996) (FIGS. 4-6), thumb pressure on actuator button 32 causes canister 26 to travel axially until its valve stem impacts valve stem receiver 24 and is compressed to release a spray of irritant radially through an integral nozzle.
As also seen above, over the years, these housings have been disguised, contained within or combined with various other devices and weapons, including small arms. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,436 to Piper (1997), an electrically operated valve releases an irritant spray axially from a canister concealed within a glove. U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,588 to Malone, et al (1999) is for mechanisms which can release upon an attacker a spray from a canister of irritant while the canister remains concealed within a purse. U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,348 to Harding (1999) is for mechanisms which can release upon an attacker a spray from a canister of irritant while the canister remains concealed within a dumbbell. U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,819 to Brunswig (1997) is for mechanisms which can release upon an attacker a spray from a canister of irritant while the canister remains concealed in a pager, flashlight or handgun. The Brunswig patent also illustrates all of the basic types of release mechanisms described heretofore and below.
Canisters, which release their sprays axially through secured nozzles by displacements of their storage cylinders, are better suited for mounting on side arms. However, the housing mechanisms that actuate a canister to release a spray of chemical irritant, are subject to failure generally and difficult to actuate when mounted on side arms. Even more complicated and expensive mechanism assemblages must be combined with the existing actuators so the canisters can be conveniently triggered to release a spray while mounted on firearms, like pistols, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,628 to Teetzel (1998) (releases spray vial electromechanical mechanism), U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,559 to Ludaesher, et al (1997) (a plunger displaces the storage cylinder axially against a spring and, thereby, compresses the canister valve stem toward the cylinder to release a spray axially) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,548 to Ludaescher (1999) (FIG. 2) (arm 22 rotates to move actuator plate 38 to displace storage cylinder 20, which is restricted (friction fit) within tube 18, axially into actuator ridge 24 to open canister valve 25 to release a spray of irritant axially. The present invention resolves all of these problems through a unique combination of features, which now allows a shooter to release the spray without removing his or her firing or supporting hand from its firing or supporting position on the attached handgun.